


Getting To Like You 2

by PurpleD54



Series: Casual [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 11:16:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12506128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleD54/pseuds/PurpleD54
Summary: What can happen at SHIELD behind the scenes especially if there are no current missions.





	Getting To Like You 2

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own these Marvel babies. Just like to take them out for a joy ride.  
> This is part of the Casual series. You will need to read that first.

 

            When Clint woke up on Wednesday morning, he didn't know where he was at first. The fact that he had his Ninja cuddled up against him made him not care. When Phil's breath hitched in a gasp of pain, Clint was out of bed in a flash and hurried to get Phil's medicine. He started up the coffee maker and hurried back to the bedroom with water and pills. He helped Phil sit up so he could get everything down easier, then helped him lay down again.

            "Coffee will be ready soon. Once the pills kick in, maybe you should stretch a bit to loosen up. I can make breakfast or you can soak in the tub or I can give you another massage. Whatever you like."

            "I want all 3 but not yet," Phil admitted, "Come back to bed."

            "Is this part of the slow down plan, sir?" Barton asked.

            "This is comfort for a friend. Thank you. Shut up." Clint laughed as he climbed back into bed and let Phil cuddle into him and get comfortable. They both drifted off for another hour. Clint woke up when he felt Phil stretching against him. Clint got up and went to start breakfast. Phil moved to the edge of the bed and kept stretching. When he felt looser, he got up and went to the kitchen.

            Clint heard him coming and had scrambled eggs and bacon all ready and toast with cinnamon sugar topping. Coffee was already on the table. They both sat down and dug in enjoying a pleasant slow morning together.

            "I will be here for most of the day," Clint said later, "but I have my second visit with Psych at 11:00."

            "I'm ok, just stiff. I'm only getting one day off. So you should go to that. I will rest and loosen up. I promise to take the pills. I think the doctor was mostly worried about something unexpected developing overnight. I'm glad they left my face alone but the rest of me is a fabulous shade of purple. You like purple, right?"

            "Phil, stop that. I love purple but NOT on your skin." Clint said exasperated.

            Phil got up and went to his key ring on the table by the door. He removed one of the keys and threw it to Clint.

            "Here, for when you come back. You can get in easier and you won't have to pick the lock on my door."

            Clint laughed, "This is part of the slow down plan? Really? A key to your apartment?"

            "It's comfort for a friend," Phil insisted. Clint walked over to Phil and kissed him. Phil wrapped his arms around Clint and kissed back. Clint was afraid to hug Phil with all his bruising so he just concentrated on the kiss. When they were both out of breath, Phil raised his head and said,

            "Yeah, now that's comfort." Clint laughed and backed away.

            "I have to get dressed and get ready to go. I'll be back as quick as I can."

            "I know," said Phil, "And in the meantime, I'm going to take a long soak in the tub. You can haul me out when you get back."

            "Just don't drown," Clint said kissing Phil on the corner of his mouth.

            "I'll wear my water wings."

            "Damn Ninja."

*****

            Dr. York had seen the video and wanted to hear all about the test and Phil's condition. Clint filled her in on everything. She only raised her eyes microscopically when he admitted he had just come from Phil's place. She asked him how the slow down plan was going and how he felt about that. Clint realized he didn't mind the no sex injunction. He was enjoying being with Phil in whatever capacity. They were getting to know each other and he hadn't screwed it up yet. Of course, it was still less than a week but it was longer than any other relationship he had had. Dr. York accepted that and then led him into talking about how he joined the circus and what happened before. This was harder, he didn't want to talk about this yet. Dr. York asked questions about his mother and her he could talk about. How much he loved her, how guilty he felt when he couldn't stop his father from beating her, how much he missed her when both his parents had died in the car crash, how much he didn't miss his father. And there it was, a source of pain and guilt. Dr. York talked him through it, assured him that it was not his fault, not even when he wished that his father would go away, that he could not have changed anything if he had acted better, that it was alright to have mixed feelings about it, that it was okay to keep the good memories of his mother and let everything else go. Clint realized he was crying only when Dr. York handed him a box of tissues and a bottle of water.

            "Whoa, I feel like a dishrag," Clint said.

            "Well, then we had a good session. Sometimes you just need an adult to say No, it wasn't your fault. Think of your mind as being in a box and there are pins, sticks, arrows, and spears stuck into the box hurting you. We are going to find them and pull them out. It's not easy. I think we got a spear today. So relax, give yourself time to assimilate all this, enjoy the rest of your day off. Give my best to Agent Coulson, that little Ninja, and we will see you on Friday."

            Clint picked up Thai food from his favorite place on the way back to Phil's apartment. He still felt like a dishrag but there was something in him that felt calmer than it had in years, like a puzzle piece had just dropped into place. He used his key to get in and called out to Phil that he had food. There was no answer. Clint dropped the bag on the table and hurried to Phil's bedroom and burst inside calling for Phil. Phil appeared at the closet door in a bathrobe with his hair in disarray.

            "What's the matter, Clint?' Phil asked.

            "I called for you but I didn't get an answer and I got worried," Clint replied.

            "I was in the closet looking for something to wear and I didn't hear you."

            "Well, I'm glad you are okay. Are you all pruney?"

            Phil laughed, "Yes, I stayed in the tub too long but it was relaxing."

            "Okay, get dressed. I brought home Thai food. Do you need help with anything?"

            "No, I'm good. Shoes would be hard but I'm not doing that."

            Clint closed the bedroom door and headed for the kitchen to set the table. He was enjoying Phil's company and taking care of him. He hoped that their relationship could continue. When Phil came into the kitchen he greeted Clint with a brain-melting kiss. Clint had a hard time remembering not to hug Phil and hurt his bruises.

            "I can't wait until you are better so I can hug you again," Clint groused.

            "All part of the slow down plan," Phil teased.

            They sat down to eat and enjoyed the food. Afterwards, Clint gave Phil another massage with his special oil, and when Phil was asleep, set Phil's alarm clock and left for his own place. He didn't want to be a pest and Phil was getting better. Clint did some grocery shopping and picked up extra deodorant and toothbrushes to make up for the things he had left behind at Phil's house. He still needed to keep a go bag handy for missions so it didn't hurt to have extras. He put all the groceries away and cleaned up the kitchen and the bathroom.  Then bit the bullet and cleaned the rest of his apartment as well.

            He sat down to watch the video again. Then he watched the Phil fight several times noting the moves and planning how to teach them to his baby agents. Yes, even though they had been promoted, he realized they would always be his baby agents. But he still had over a week to teach them more. He wondered what song would work with Coulson's moves but he would have to sleep on it. Setting his clock for 0400, he dropped off to sleep missing the feel of his favorite Ninja.

            At the range, at 0500 the next morning, Clint worked with both his bow and a gun to make sure he was keeping up his skill set. At 0600 his baby agents came in and greeted him and went to their lanes to practice. They were determined to keep up all the things he had taught them. He checked on them making suggestions and telling some of them to relax. At 0645, they stopped to clean their weapons and to prepare for his class.

            "Coulson is already in his office this morning," Angela remarked.

            "Is he?" said Clint, "I should go get him a cup of coffee. But it will make me a bit late for your class."

            "That's okay. We could be stretching while you do that."

            "It's a deal," said Clint hurrying away. All the agents looked at each other and chuckled.

            When Clint knocked on Phil's office door and pushed it open, his mouth dropped open. Phil was there working hard but was dressed in sweats and sneakers.

            "It's Ragnorak," he said, putting Phil's coffee on the desk in front of him.

            "No, It's pain. My other clothes are tighter. I'm expecting Fury in about 3 minutes. You left me last night."

            "I had some things I needed to do," Clint explained. At Phil's raised eyebrow, Clint listed them out, "Grocery shopping, cleaning my apartment, laundry and studying the video to prepare something for my baby agents. I'm still trying to figure out what music would be good for your fighting style. And I didn't want to be a pest. We are in a slow down phase and trying to be friends. I missed you. But I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off you and I didn't want to hurt you with all the bruises."

            "I missed you too. That massage was so good, I didn't even realize when you left." Thank you for the coffee. I appreciate it. And Eye of the Tiger is the song you are looking for."

            Clint thought about it for a second and said, "Yes, that's it. Thank you Boss."

            Phil's office door slammed open without warning and Fury strode in with his big leather coat swishing dramatically.

            "Let me see," Fury demanded. Phil raised his tee shirt gingerly to show off the purple marks, then turned around to show off his back.

            "I want Medical to look those over. Why didn't you ask for more time off?" Fury thundered.

            "Nick, I'm okay. I have a lot of work to catch up on. It would be great if I didn't have to stay too late tonight. I have to go home and clean my apartment. It's been hard to get around."

            Fury looked at him. Phil was trying to keep a straight face but his eyes were gleaming a little too much.

            "Okay, I'll have SHIELD housekeeping stop by your place and go over it and fill the fridge. Don't say I never did anything for you. Go to Medical! All I've heard all morning is how much of a disaster it is that you are in sweats. How you must be near death. It's the end of the world. It's the death of the suit." Fury mumbled more as he turned and left in a huff.

            Phil and Clint looked at each other and smiled.

            "I guess I have to go make an appearance in Medical and you need to get to your class. Can we have dinner together tonight?" Clint squeezed Phil's hand and nodded, as he walked out to his class.

            Clint's baby agents were still stretching when he arrived. He sat on the floor to join them. They were all talking excitedly about Phil taking down 8 agents even though they were probationary agents, still, it was quite a feat.

            "Wait, did you guys already watch the video?" said Clint.

            "Of course," said Angela, "And we can't wait to see it again and learn some of those Ninja moves."

            "Then let's start it up."

            They all watched the entire video commenting on their parts even though they couldn't be seen. When on-screen Angela mentioned Uncle Phil, they all went Awwww together and teased her some more. At the end, Clint said again how proud he was of them.

            "But now it's time to work." He started the video over to get to the Phil fight. He slowed it down for that part and commented on the action. The agents listened intently trying to wrap their heads around the maneuvers. Clint stood up and demonstrated some of the moves in slow motion and they all tried to copy them. Clint helped them until they all got it right. Then he demonstrated a series of moves that would make up their exercise. The end of it was a double spin into a roundhouse kick to the head. Clint turned on the music. As Eye of the Tiger blared out, they screamed in joy and started the moves. It took a bit to get them down, and they slowed down once to go over a move several times with the music off. Then started up again. When they were all sweaty, they stopped for a rest and had some water, they kept walking so they wouldn't cool off too much.

            "Now, we are going to do all the pieces we've learned so far including the line dance." Clint changed the music and hurried to get back in line. They had the line dance down cold and stomped it out with joy. They had even added their own little bump moves to the steps he taught them. Then they changed to the fight moves. It was a thing of beauty. Clint was so proud. He changed the music to the waltz and they swept through the moves elegantly. These moves were mostly defensive and were important to put into muscle memory. Clint changed the music to the techno stuff with the upbeat tempo. They all joined in right away. This was the piece that had been interrupted for the lockdown test but they had every step. Then Clint changed the music again to Eye of the Tiger. They spread out a bit more and flew into the paces. They kept going until the song ended.

            "Well done, everyone. Keep walking and stretching to cool down. Let's take a lunch break. Be back here in an hour."

            Clint hurried to Phil's office. He knew that Fury had been watching some of their stuff and wondered if Phil had seen it. When he got to the door, Phil waved him in and turned off what he was watching. He put it back to the beginning and motioned him to come sit. Clint watched the big grin on Phil's face. It matched the one he had seen in Phil's file with the purple shirt. _Mission Accomplished_ he thought. He watched the screen with Phil as they went through all the pieces they had learned so far. It looked great but it was still only theory.

            "Phil, they know this stuff in theory now. How do I get them to use it in a practical way."

            "I can help you with that," Phil said, "I'll have some Level 3 agents come and spar with them. They won't be laughed at and they know some moves that the Level 3 agents don't know. It will be a one to one thing and they will switch partners every so often. These will be Level 3 agents who need to recertify so this will help them also. I'll set that up for Monday afternoon."

            "That sounds perfect, Phil, thanks. And I think we can learn some throwing moves this afternoon. That should give them a rounded variety of moves to use."

            Clint went back to his baby agents after lunch. They all worked hard and repeated the exercises over and over trying to fold them into muscle memory. At 18:00 he dismissed them and headed to Phil's office.

            "Ready to go Boss man? Clint asked. Phil had piles of files around him. He looked up at Clint sadly, motioning to all the work.

            "Put it away, it will be here tomorrow. You are still recovering. Even Fury would tell you to go home." At that second, the phone rang. Phil picked it up knowing who it was,

            "Yes, sir?" Phil said. "Yes…yes…I see sir. Yes sir. No sir. Thank you, sir." Phil put the phone back down and shivered. "He said if I don't leave with you in the next 5 minutes, he will send me with Agent Sykes to Greenland." Clint laughed and shouted _Thank you, Sir_ towards the ceiling.

            Clint and Phil went to Clint's place. Clint went right to the kitchen and started up a pot of water to heat and got out the sauce he had made the day before and put it in another pot to warm. He set the table around Phil who was mesmerized with just watching him move around the kitchen. He also took a bottle of wine from the fridge and opened it to breathe. Getting out some jelly glasses, he poured the  wine into them and apologized to Phil.

            "Sorry, these are the only glasses I have. You will just have to imagine the traditional wineglass shape." Phil tasted the wine. He smiled at the taste so Clint knew he must be doing something right. He stirred the sauce which was just starting to bubble a bit. The hot water was boiling briskly. Clint got out a container of the fettuccine pasta he had made and poured it into the salted water and stirred it right away. He pulled out the salad and some dressing from the fridge and set it on the table.

            At the buzzer, he took the pot of water off the stove and poured it through a colander in the sink, then dumped the pasta into a large bowl and put butter and grated cheese on the top. Clint put his sauce into another bowl with a ladle for easy serving and set out a baguette to eat with it. He sat down next to Phil and filled up their plates. Everything smelled wonderful. Clint broke off pieces of the baguette for each of them and offered Phil the bowl of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on his pasta.

            "You…You made all this yourself?" asked Phil

            "Yesterday, well not the bread, but the pasta and the sauce, yeah."

            "This is fabulous! I'm keeping you."

            "Whoa, it's not something I can do all the time…" Clint protested.

            Phil grabbed Clint by the neck and pulled him over and kissed him.

            "It's delicious, thank you."

            "I'm glad you like it. What would you have done if it was terrible?"

            "Hmmm Greenland looks good this time of year," Phil said with a smile.

            "Damn Ninja."

*****

            When Clint woke up on Friday, he knew it was going to be a busy day. He sent a text to Phil, _Don't forget Mad Dog_. He packed up his Hawk outfit into a gym bag and jumped into the shower. By 05:00 he was on the range with his bow and was working hard.

            At 06:00, the baby agents came in for shooting practice. They all seemed to have more confidence. Clint was glad. He knew that he had helped them even if it was just a little bit but he was invested in their success. He checked out their form on the range and then switched from bow to gun and showed them how to shoot opposite handed. They were very bad at it but not as bad as if they'd had no instruction at all. It gave them another challenge. Clint reminded them that they could also practice that in their hand/eye coordination games on the computer.  After cleaning the guns, Angela told him he needed to get a cup of coffee for Agent Coulson and that they would be stretching. He laughed at her for bossing him around.

            Phil was moving easier this morning when Clint brought him coffee. He was also wearing his suit and looked wonderful. Clint just stood at the door and sighed. He was definitely having trouble keeping his hands to himself and left as quickly as he could.

            Clint stretched out with the baby agents. It was a fun time with catcalling and teasing going on. Clint mentioned to them that he had a Psych appointment at 11:00 and would have to leave. They could take an early lunch or they could jog or they could practice their hand/eye coordination games but everyone had to be back by 13:00 hours to stretch. They were okay with having some extra time and decided to go out for lunch as a group. Clint texted Jasper and asked for a good location for them to eat. Jasper came back with a place called the Purple Hippo. It was an inexpensive place with plenty of tables and good food. Clint sent the address to the group text and noted that it had a 4-star rating. He told them about Jasper's restaurant super powers and they were all excited to try this place.

            Dr. York asked for happy stories today. Sometimes they were just as difficult as hard stories because Clint had not shared anything in forever. But he was glad because he still had to function for the rest of the day. And it was practice for telling happy stories to Phil. So it was bittersweet feelings at the end of the hour instead of a full on brain bleed. Clint went back to his class for more stretching. They were all excited over the Purple Hippo and told him all about it.

            Clint showed them some more new moves today. Mostly defense against the moves they learned on Thursday afternoon. He chose hip-hop music for this set and they worked out, each one giving 100%. They were soon all sweaty and Clint called a rest period and handed out bottles of water. There was only an hour left so he decided to get them used to the idea of fighting with their new tools. He set them in teams of two against himself and sparred with them. He left them openings to take him down and when they didn't, he stopped and repeated the moves in slow motion so they could know what to look for. And when little Angela flipped him over her hip and he thunked onto the floor on his back, he decided they had enough.

            "Class dismissed," he wheezed.

            "Oh My God, Are you Okay?" Angela shouted dropping to her knees.

            "Yes, I'm just out of breath. That was a good throw. Don't be afraid of good results. If you are fighting someone who is going to kill you, you definitely want the upper hand."

            They all filed out a bit subdued. Clint lay there for a minute just breathing. Bob came in smiling.

            "So, they got you, huh?" he asked.

            "Oh, yeah, I think we need padding on the floor for Monday afternoon," said Clint rolling over and attempting to get up.

            "Are you ready to catch a fly?" Bob asked.

            "Everything is set?" Clint asked.

            "Yup. What are you doing tomorrow?"

            Clint laughed, "I guess I'm going to be here. Actually that's perfect. A lot less people around. What time?"

            "0800."

            "Oh good, I can sleep in. I'll be here. We'll get it all done and set a trap."

            Bob just cackled on his way out.

            Clint headed for the locker room to grab a shower.

*****

            Phil was still working when Clint got there. He lay down on the sofa and slept until Phil nudged him.

            "Time to get ready, Hawk" Phil said, "Are you awake?"

            "Yes. Have you heard from Jasper?"

            "He will meet us there. I have the address. It's about 20 minutes from here. Jas will meet us outside. He says we will never find it on our own." They changed their clothes and laughed at each other, then hurried out of the building hoping no one had seen them. They took a taxi to the spot Jasper gave them. There was a man waiting there as they got out of the taxi. He had on gray rough pants and black boots that went up to his knees and turned down a good 8 inches. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with the ragged cuffs open and a black moth-eaten vest made of rabbit fur. Over it he had a very wide belt with a large gold buckle in the shape of a skull. He must have been wearing contacts because his glasses were gone.  Clint spoke up,

            "Wolf, I'm glad you could meet us. Where is this place?" Jasper smiled big,

            "Gentlemen, welcome to the Steaming Libation. Follow me."

            They walked between 2 buildings, around the back of another building, across another alley and down the basement stairs of an old house claiming to be an insurance company. There were no signs but when Jasper opened the door, they knew it was perfect. The bar itself was a beautiful mahogany expanse. A barman slid a mug of beer along the wood and it slid into place in front of the proper patron. There were tables lining the walls. There were several other rooms for pool and darts and a couple of party rooms for small groups. A busy waitress told them to sit anywhere and she would be right back. All 3 of them sighted the exits and other patrons and decided on a table with an excellent view of the room but still out of the way and a bit private.

            "Wolf, you win again. Let's see what the food is like. First round is on me," said Phil, tickled with the feel of the place. It was clean but worn down, like it had been there forever. The walls were covered with pictures and souvenirs of large ships and tourist traps. There were tacky post cards all over the place but it was dust free and well-kept.

            "Their specialty is alcoholic coffees which is where the name Steaming Libation comes from but they also have some very good beers on tap and even some local IPAs. The waitress came back and brought them menus which featured mostly drinks and some bar food. They ordered boneless chicken wings, sliders and potato skins along with 3 beers.

            "Hey Mad Dog, I saw your video. Are you ok?" asked Jasper.

            "Helluva set of bruises but nothing that won't heal," replied Phil, "You didn't even see Hawk rescue me, did ya?"

            "What with the dancing tarp? That was very original. Well done, Hawk."

            "What you couldn't see was that there were three other agents under the tarp with me and we had more tranq guns in the vents to protect us, and they got two more that didn't even show on the video. They didn't get enough credit," replied Clint.

            "Awww, your baby agents did very well for themselves. You are a very good teacher."

            "But I only had them for 2 days at that point. So they learned more than they thought they had. They just needed someone to believe in them. You should see what they can do now."

            "Wolf," said Phil, "I have a piece you might like to see on Monday when we are back to work. It's the secret of Hawk's success."

            The waitress brought them their appetizers and they dug in. Everything was good and they had a good time together. People were coming and going all the time. About an hour later, Phil suddenly gasped and moaned just a bit.

            "What's wrong?" said Clint, immediately scanning the floor and going into protective mode.

            "My ex, Doug is right over there," said Phil.

            "Relax, Mad Dog, he can't recognize you," Clint's voice was low and soothing. "Jasper, does he know you?"

            "No, the Wolf has never met him," murmured Jasper.

            "Remember the day I first said yes to a date with you?" asked Phil of Clint. At Clint's nod, he continued, "A judge gave me a restraining order against him, unrequested by the way, for three years, and a bit over a week ago, it expired. He called me that day and threatened me. Not that I'm afraid of him but I had hoped to never hear from him again."

            "That's all I need to hear. Do you trust me?" Phil nodded and Clint went on, "I'm going to take him down a peg. He will never know what hit him. Just don't take off the sunglasses. It might take a bit of time. Jasper, stay with him. If things get crazy, get him out of here. Do you understand?" Jasper nodded and thumped his chest with his fist.

            "Get him, Hawk."

            "I will, but I need to watch him for a while first. Let him get a few beers inside. Set up some bait. I have to leave you for a while. Stay calm. And Jasper keep him busy. With food rather than alcohol."

            Clint went to sit at the bar, separating himself from Phil and Jasper. He kept his eyes on Doug in the mirror behind the bar. Doug was throwing down shots and mocking one of his companions until one of the others told him to knock it off. Doug made a disgusted noise and went off to the room with the pool tables in it. Clint already knew that they were full. Clint went to the room with the dart boards and began a game by himself, just throwing darts and making sure that none of them got a higher score than 12 and only once in a while. Doug wandered in and watched for a bit, then snorted.

            "What, you think you can do better?" Clint challenged.

            "Duh, of course." Doug said.

            "Let me see," said Clint. Doug took one of the darts and threw it and it landed on the 14.

            "Wait, that was just a warm up shot. Let me try again." At Clint's nod, Doug threw the dart again. It landed on the 20.

            "See? That was better. So there, Hah. Beat that." Clint threw a dart and it landed on the 18.

            "Hah, see? I beat you. Told you I would."

            "What's your name, kid?" asked Clint.

            "Kid? I'm older than you. And it's Doug."

            "Hawk," said Clint holding out his hand.

            "Yeah, right," sneered Doug, ignoring the friendly gesture.

            "What, you think you want to have a game?" asked Clint.

            "How much are you willing to lose on a game?" asked Doug.

            Clint pulled out the wad of cash in Phil's money clip. He still had it from when they went to the flea market. He pulled out a hundred dollars, five twenties and laid it down and put the money clip with the rest back in his pocket. He made sure that Doug could see it.

            "Where did you get that?" demanded Doug.

            "Oh, I lifted it off of some guy in a stupid suit." said Clint. Doug laughed.

            "I love that. I think I know that guy. Balding middle-aged guy who dresses like an accountant?" Clint nodded, freezing inside at the description. Phil had used those words for himself on their first date. So that's where it came from.

            "Let me buy that money clip off you."

            "No, you didn't win the game. If you don't want to play, that's ok." said Clint casually as he gathered up the hundred dollars and put it back in the money clip.

            "Wait, wait, wait, if I win the hundred dollars I could get the money clip?"

            "Didn't say that kid, I have five hundred dollars in the money clip. You would have to win the whole thing to get the clip. What do you have to offer?"

            "I have five hundred, hell, I have a thousand."

            "Wait, you want to put up a thousand against my five hundred plus the money clip? Is that what you're saying?" Clint asked.

            "Fuck, why not? I'm going to win anyway. Yeah, let's do this."

            "I want an impartial witness, someone trustworthy to hold the money, so get it out," said Clint. Clint waved at one of the bartenders who came to the back room right away. Clint explained,

            "This gentleman and I want to have a dart game with a bet. I want someone impartial to hold the goods. He is putting up a thousand dollars and I'm putting up five hundred plus a money clip that seems kind of important to him. Will you hold the goods?"

            "Yes, sir. We also have video cameras to make sure there is nothing crazy going on. I'll have them turned on."

            "Oh, that's a nice surprise. Thanks," said Clint and he handed over the cash with the money clip. Then he nodded over at Doug,

            "Pay up Doug, or do you want to back out of this?" Doug barked a short laugh.

            "This will be the easiest money I've ever made," he sneered pulling money out of his wallet from under a secret flap. The bartender took it and counted both wads in front of them and then laid down the rules.

            "You must stay behind this line and there will be 3 darts for each player's turn. The score starts with 501 points and the object is to get down to 0. The final throw to 0 must include a double or a triple."

            "Doug, you can even go first, " Clint said graciously. Doug threw the first dart and hit a 20. His second hit the 6 and the third hit an 8.

            "Thirty four points for Doug, with 467 left," the barman said. Clint threw his 3 darts. One hit the center bull for 50, one hit the triple 19 line and one hit the triple 20 line.

            "One hundred sixty seven points for Hawk, with 334 left," the barman said. Doug's face turned nasty. He huffed and grabbed his 3 darts. This time he hit a double 16, a 15 and an 18.

            "Sixty five points for Doug with 402 left," the barman said. Clint threw his next 3 darts. They went into the same areas as last time, the center bull for 50, a triple 19 and a triple 20.

            "One hundred sixty seven points for Hawk, with 167 left," the barman said. Doug threw his next 3 darts and hit the triple 16, a 17, and a double 4.

            "Seventy three points for Doug, with 329 left," the barman said. Clint picked up his 3 darts and threw them. One hit the center bull for 50, a triple 20 and a triple 19.

            "One hundred sixty seven points for Hawk, with 0 left on the triple. We have a winner," the barman said.

            Doug rushed into Clint's space and pushed him into the wall, "You hustled me," he accused.

            "I gave you plenty a chances to back out," Clint told him.

            "I want that money clip," Doug growled.

            "Sorry, Dougie, you didn't win," said Clint. Clint picked up a group of darts on the table, then pushed Doug into the wall. Hard. With his forearm against Doug's throat.

            "You're a whiny sore loser, Dougie,"  Clint said, "I can see why Phil didn't want to be with you anymore. You're a bully too. And you know what, Dougie? He's with me now." Doug let out a screech of rage but Clint continued. "And you know what, Dougie? You see this dart? Watch it closely." Clint looked at the dart board and threw the dart into the bulls eye. Then he looked back at Doug and threw the next dart into the same bulls eye without looking, then threw another, watching Doug's eyes get big. Clint threw one more and hit the same bulls eye.

            "I don't miss Dougie."

            "But you were terrible at the start" Doug sneered.

            "And you sucked up the bait. Hook, line and sinker, Dougie," Clint mocked, "And you see this last dart? If you ever contact Phil Coulson again, as God is my witness," Clint paused and kissed the dart, "You will lose an eye. I. Never. Miss. Do you know why, Dougie? I'm a sniper. It's my job. I can kill you from 2 miles away and you would never even know it was coming. But I can see that you are a man who is open to suggestion, am I right, Dougie?" Doug nodded, a look of horror growing on his face, "So you are never going to contact Phil Coulson again. Right, Dougie?" Doug nodded again. Clint tucked the dart into Doug's pocket and let him go. Doug hurried from the room and left the bar.

            "I believe this is yours, Hawk, and may I say congratulations. You are welcome back any time. Doug is not."

            "I don't think Doug will be back," said Clint, "Did he owe you anything on a bar tab?

            "I can afford to write off that twenty bucks."

            "Now, now, don't be so hasty," Clint said, "Doug's money is good and he left some behind. I'm sure he meant to be a good citizen and pay his bar tab. Here, I know he would want you to have this. I do." Clint peeled off 2 hundred dollar bills from Doug's stash and handed it over to the barman. Then peeled off a third. "And this is for being a great judge and keeping everything fair." The barman's eyes crinkled,

            "Thank you sir, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun."

            "I have one last request. Can I get a copy of the video tape?" Clint asked. The barman laughed and offered him a high five. Clint high fived him and clapped him on the shoulder. He wrote his email down on a napkin and gave it to the barman and moved off to find Phil and Jasper.

            Clint sat down at the table and said to Phil, "He will never bother you again, Phil. I promise. Jasper, they have a video camera that they taped the dart game on. Go see if you can get the pieces before and after the game as well as the game." Jasper pulled out a mini computer from his pocket and said, "I'm on it." Clint motioned to the barman that Jasper was with him and left them to it.

            "Phil? Are you ok Phil? " Phil finally looked up at Clint with agonized eyes.     "Holy shit, what did he do to you, baby?"

            "Not here," Phil whispered.

            Jasper was hurrying back to the table, "Got it," he said.

            "Jas, go get us a taxi. I'll bring Phil." Jasper hurried off. Clint peeled off another hundred dollar bill to leave on the table. He gently helped Phil to his feet and led him out through the maze of passages to the street where Jasper was holding a taxi. Clint gave the address. They all piled in.

            "Jasper, we're going to Phil's place. Come with us and stay the night. I have to be someplace tomorrow at 0800 for a few hours. Can you stay with Phil till I get back from that? It's something I promised Bob in R&D I'd help him with."

            "Yeah, sure. No problem."

            Phil didn't seem to be listening. He was holding himself stiffly with his eyes closed. His face reflected pain every time the taxi hit a pothole. Clint didn't know what to do. Hugging Phil would only make him hurt worse. Thank goodness the ride was short. Jasper paid the taxi as Clint helped Phil out. They rode up the elevator together. When Clint unlocked the door, he took Phil to the kitchen and got him his pills and some water first thing. Knowing it would take a few minutes for him to feel better, he  let him sit at the kitchen table while he got Phil's laptop for Jasper. They worked on the kitchen table, copying the baby agent video to Jasper's computer and copying the dart game video to Phil's laptop. After it was done, Clint put on the baby agent video to show Jas what they had been working on.

            "That looks like so much fun," he said wistfully, "Those kids are getting better by the moment."

            "Do you see any moves we're missing? I'm worried that I'm not covering the basics. I've never taught a group before and Sykes wasn't giving out any clues."

            "Let me think about that and get back to you. I can look up the course syllabus and double check."

            "Okay, I don't know what that means, but it sounds important," Clint admitted.

            "A syllabus is a list of all the things that will be learned in a particular class. Usually used at college level."

            "I guess it's a day for revelations. I didn't finish sixth grade officially." said Clint. He could see the curiosity in Jasper's face.

            "I will tell you sometime but right now I am worried about Phil. Put on the dart game. Let's see if that makes a difference.

            The video cameras had indeed been on and captured all the pieces Clint wanted.

            "Phil, you are safe now. Watch me play this guy. He is never going to hurt you again." They all watched Clint tease Doug with flashes of Phil's money clip. Jasper counted it a stroke of brilliance to let the barman hold the goods and officiate the contest. And he whistled in admiration when Clint won with only 9 darts. Clint motioned him to silence hoping that the cameras caught the next section. Phil's eyes were glued to the computer screen. He watched Doug sneer at Clint and Clint taunt him back by calling him Dougie. Then when Clint threw the darts without even looking and getting a bulls eye every time, he let out a little gasp. And when Clint threatened Doug with losing an eye and with death if he ever bothered Phil again, and Doug's face turned horrified and he ran out, Phil grabbed Clint's hand. Tears started to leak out of his eyes. Clint put an arm around Phil and asked him again,

            "Baby, what did he do to you?" Phil took a deep breath and then started talking as if to himself,

            "It was my father's favorite card. We searched for it off and on through my entire youth. It was Captain America #34. It was the final one for the 1943 set. My grandfather had met Captain America when he was in the army and always talked about him after that. Grandpa was there when they took the picture that became #34. It was of Captain America in his fancy red, white and blue outfit and a bunch of soldiers around him. One of them was my grandfather. So my father searched for it all his life and told me the stories about it. They didn't make very many of those. About half as many as the others. There were pictures of it in books.

            It was always the big prize but unattainable. We talked about the card endlessly and I grew up with a love for everything Captain America. I grew up wanting to be like him. Not like his looks or anything, but wanting to be good and heroic and worthy, like him. My grandfather died when I was young and my father died when I was a teenager. My mother gave me all the Captain America stuff but I had to take care of it. It was a big responsibility. I stopped looking for the card but I collected other stuff.

            Then about 8 years ago I heard that someone was selling card #34. For 5 years, I chased that dream all over again. I begged my favorite vendor to find it for me. And then suddenly, he had it but he wanted an arm and a leg for it. I had started dating Doug about 6 months before and he offered to buy it for me and I could pay him back with cash. So he made an offer for it and the guy sold it to him for half of what he wanted from me. I was overjoyed. During the 6 months that Doug and I had been dating, things went mostly well. I couldn't tell him I was with SHIELD and Doug was starting to get a bit rattled with me when I wasn't available and he wanted my time, and he didn't understand all the secrets. This card became a big bargaining chip. I promised him all kinds of things. Then he made me pay him double what he had paid for the card. And I paid it to him in cash. Then he had the card in his hand and he bent it in half before he gave it to me. That made it plummet in value. I wasn't really concerned about that. It was just that the card had so much sentimental value for me. And it was such a mean thing to do. I broke up with him right away. He was furious. He harassed me with phone calls and I changed my number and he found it again. I didn't tell anyone in SHIELD. I was so ashamed that I had let him get to me.

            Then he took me to court. He had the receipt for Card #34 and now that we were split up, he claimed that I stole it from him. I went to court in good faith with my bank statement showing the money I had taken out to pay to him. He lied and said I owed him money for phone calls I'd made on his phone. So it was my word against his. But he had the official receipt. I had to give him the card in court. Then in front of the judge, he laughed at me and ripped the card into pieces and threw them at me. The judge got mad and threw him into jail for 3 days for contempt and fined him and issued a restraining order for 3 years. A week ago Wednesday, the restraining order expired and he called me to harass me and gloat. That was the day I said yes to a date with you, Clint. I didn't know it would make you crazy."

            "And I had been bugging you every day for a date for 3 years. Oh my god, How do you not hate me, Phil?"

            "Because I felt like you could see right through me. You could see my silliness and take it seriously and you supported me no questions asked. Look at me. I'm Mad Dog. You did that for me." Phil reached into the inner pocket of the jacket he was still wearing.

            "Here it is," he said, "Card #34, or what's left of it. this face right here that's torn in half? That's my grandpa." Phil handed the plastic sleeve with the card pieces in it to Clint. "This is what he did to me." Clint looked at Jasper and they both looked at Phil. Clint said,

            "You found it once. You can find it again. We'll help. And on that note, I think it's time to head for bed. Jasper, will you be comfortable on the sofa? Or you can go home and come back in the morning if you wish."

            "I don't live too far away. Just a couple of blocks. I'm going to head for home and I'll be back in the morning by 0700."

            "Thanks, Jas. Or should I say Wolf? Excellent outfit by the way. I think we have to go back there again. I would prefer it without Dougie, though."

            "I saw his face Hawk, he won't be back. He'll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. He probably moved to California by now."

            "Ah, we live in hope, Jas. Have a good night, We'll see you in the morning."

            Clint let Jas out and locked the door behind him. He headed back to the kitchen,

            " Phil? Come on, let's go to bed. I'm feeling like a dishrag and I bet you do too." Clint helped him up and led him down the hall to the bedroom.

            They undressed and just let everything fall where it would and crawled into bed. Cuddling together, they were asleep in moments.


End file.
